Training lawyers in business development is essential to law firms’ success
“The rules have changed in the middle of the game.” This was how Eugenia Navarro, Lecturer of Strategy and Legal Marketing at ESADE Law School, summed up the session “How Should Business Development Be Done at Law Firms?”, organised by ESADE in collaboration with Wolters Kluwer. At this session, experts from Uría Menéndez, Deloitte and Linklaters debated whether lawyer training in the 21st century should include the topics of management, marketing and communication. “Law firms have to put the client at the centre of their activity,” argued Ms. Navarro. “To do this, they have to make a difference, incorporate these tools and provide training for the appropriate profiles.” Ms. Navarro also stressed the importance of other areas in which law-firm culture needs to evolve, placing particular emphasis on using technology to gain an understanding of the market.
“The challenge of attracting clients is the essence of the lawyer’s profession,” commented Almudena Rodríguez, Director of Business Development at Uría Menéndez. “This task requires an increasingly high level of sophistication and is forcing lawyers to be better prepared. This preparation does not consist in being willing and eager, but in getting trained on technical subjects and knowing, among other things, how to measure results and develop a strategy.” She added: “Partners have to be trained in all of these aspects, and more importantly, firm need good management. Both the partners and the person running the office – whether large or small – must be aware of the value of the business development department.”
Just as important as billing
“Nowadays, this profession is nothing like what it was twenty, ten or even three years ago,” commented Fernando Bazán, Partner at Deloitte Legal. “The pillars of the sector have changed drastically: being attractive, being familiar with the sector and knowing how to propose a strategy to a client are now just as important as billing.” He added: “Little by little, we are beginning to understand that, if we provide training in order to keep our lawyers’ legal knowledge up to date, we, too, should seek training, for example in management or sales.” According to Mr. Bazán, it is essential to incorporate this approach throughout the culture of a firm.
Miguel Verger, Marketing and Business Development Manager at Linklaters, commented: “We’re just getting started. We still tend to confuse business development with marketing or communication. Although the objectives are the same – differentiating yourself and attracting clients – we need professionals who specialise in each of these areas.” He added: “The lawyer of the 21st century has to be out in the streets, making sales, opening up markets and keeping them open.”
“Just hanging a sign on your door is no longer enough,” commented Rosalina Díaz, President of the Wolters Kluwer Spain. “A law firm also needs a business vision, an approach to the management of personnel and business-related incentives, as well as a marketing and communication plan that is aligned with its strategy.”
